Ruhnu Island

Ruhnu sits alone in the middle of the Gulf of Riga, about eleven square kilometres with a population of a few dozen, and until 1944 it was inhabited by a Swedish-speaking community who had held the island since the medieval period and who left almost entirely at the end of the war. Their wooden church of 1644 survives, the oldest wooden building standing in Estonia, a dark tarred structure beside the larger stone church of 1912. The rest of the island is pine and broadleaf forest, a long sand beach on the east, dunes and the Ruhnu lighthouse, whose iron frame is attributed to the Eiffel workshop. Ferries and flights are limited and weather-dependent.

What you actually see

• The 1644 wooden church - the oldest wooden building in Estonia.
• The lighthouse - the iron tower on the island's high point.
• The beach and dunes - the long sand shore on the eastern side.
• Island forest - the pine and broadleaf woodland covering the interior.

When to go

June to August, when ferries run most reliably and the small population is supplemented by summer visitors. Services outside summer are sparse and cancel in weather. Winter access is by air only, and not always then.

Honest expectations

Transport is limited and weather-dependent, and being stranded for a day or two is a real possibility. Accommodation is a handful of guesthouses that must be booked. There is one small shop. Facilities are minimal in every sense.

Nearby

Kihnu lies northeast; Saaremaa is north.